René Colato Laínez was born in El Salvador. He is an award-winning author who holds an MFA in Writing for Children from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Críticas has called René's characters immigrant heroes. He currently lives in Los Angeles, California.
Joe Cepeda received his BFA in Illustration from California State University, Long Beach. A recipient of the Pura Belpré Honor Award, Joe has illustrated many books and book covers, and has also written for children. He lives in Southern California with his wife and son.